UC Davis study links chemical BPA to asthma
A study on the fetuses of pregnant rhesus macaque monkeys has shown that exposure to the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, led to changes in their lungs that increased the potential for developing asthma.
The study, conducted at the National Primate Research Center at UC Davis, is part of a larger study designed to look at how BPA affects the endocrine system of macaques.
The results of the lung research – considered the first of its kind – adds another layer to the ongoing debate on the effects of BPA, which is found in many products, including on the inside of cans, in plastic bottles, on cash register receipts, and in older plastic baby bottles.
The chemical has been widely studied. Many studies have found a link between BPA and effects on hormonal systems and fetal development.
The results of past studies led many manufacturers to voluntarily remove plastic containing BPA from baby bottles and toddler sippy cups. In 2013, California banned the manufacture and sale of all bottles and cups that contain detectable levels of BPA. The chemical industry has argued that the chemical is safe at the levels humans are exposed to daily.
